S. Fla. Running Community Reacts To Boston Marathon Bombings

Christine Acosta called to check on her sister, who was running the Boston Marathon Monday. (CBS4)

MIAMI (CBS4) -More than 100 runners from South Florida raced in the Boston Marathon and so far there have been no reports of anyone from the area with injuries but there were some very scary moments.

As the terrifying images emerged from Boston, family and friends of marathon runners from South Florida stayed glued to their phones waiting for word.

Christine Acosta’s sister Yvonne Figueredo was thrilled to be running the Boston marathon. Her husband and sons were with her watching the race.

“She was excited as can be and happy that her dream was finally coming to fruition,” said Acosta who learned her sister crossed the finish line about 10 minutes before the explosion.

Over the phone from Boston, Figueredo described the chaos and panic.

“Visions of everything I saw on the news from 9-11 that’s all that crossed my mind,” she said.

Bert Soden, of Hollywood, was in Boston watching his wife Patricia run the marathon.

“It sounded like the Fourth of July like boom boom like cannons going off then I saw one lady drop to the ground,” he said.

Then he realized his wife was right near the explosion.

“Patricia was finishing right around the time when explosion went off and I thought my wife’s dead,” Soden said.

Meanwhile Patricia panicked worried her husband had been hurt.

She said, “I was crying and I asked someone to please help contact him and I couldn’t get through, and as I was talking to the volunteer out of nowhere everybody started to run panicking bumping into each other I couldn’t even think.”

Finally reunited at their hotel, Bert learned his wife crossed the finish line about 30 seconds before the explosion.

“She said it was either the sprint toward the finish line or the religious medal I put around her neck before she started that saved her life,” he said.